Improvement in hemp-brakes



s w s X H. D. McG EORGE. Hemp Brake.

Patented Sept; 14, 1858. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

H. n. MCGEORGE, or MoReANTowN, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEM P-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 2 I ,513, dated September 14, 1858.

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, H. D. McGEoRG-E, of Morgantown, in the county of Mononga-lia and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Breaking Hemp, Flax, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, and which represents a longitudinal vertical section through the machine.

The nature of my invention consists in the finanner in which I have arranged and combined the breakers and clearers.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation in connection with the drawings.

A represents the frame of the machine, on which is supported, in suitable bearings, a shaft, a, to which motion may be communicated by hand or any other power. On this shaft a there is a crank, 12, to which one end of a pitman, B, is attached, the other end of said pitman being hinged or pivoted to a breaking-frame, O. The breaking-frame C is hinged to the main frame A at c, and is furnished with a series of blades, d.

D is a stationary breaking-frame furnished with blades 6, between which the blades (Z of the vibrating-frame C strike and operate.

Behind the stationary frame D there is a hinged clearing-frame, E, furnished with ribs or slats f, which are projected through between the blades 0 of the stationary frame D by the action of a spring, F; or, if preferred, a weight may be used forthis purpose. \Vhen the blades of the beaterframe 0 drive the hemp or flax against the blades of the stationary frame I), it forces back the clearing-ribs f against the spring F, and when the blades (Z are drawn back the spring F acts, throwing the clearersf against the material, driving it out from between the blades 0, and thus shaking out the woody matter that is broken and loosened by the action of the blades d c.

On the shaft a there is a pulley, G, around which, and around a smaller pulley, H, whose shaft is supported in the lower part of the frame A, passes an endless belt, I, which gives motion to said shaft; and this shaft carries a trip-wheel, J, having lugs or cams, on it,

which strike or catch upon the end of an arm or 1ever,;K, fastened to a second vibrating frame, L, that is pivoted or hinged to the main frame at 71, and throws back said frame L against the action of a spring, M, that returns said frame to its firstposition with a sudden quick blow the moment the cams 9 pass the end of the lever K. This vibrating frame L is furnished with blades, 2', which strike between the blades is of a second stationary frame, N. p

, Behind the second stationary frame N is a clearing-frame, O, carrying ribs 12, that act in all respects like the frame E, above described, for throwing and shaking out the material that is being acted upon.

The upper and lower breaking and clearing devices may be said to be duplicates in their construction, but not soin their operation, for the upper vibrating frame works with alonger, slower, and more vigorous blow on the unbroken material, while the lower frame, L,

works more rapidly and with less heavy blows, the material at that stage of the operation being partially broken and cleared, and the quicker motion of the frame L more perfectly completes the partially broken and cleaned operation.

Other devices than I have shown may be employed for giving motion to the several parts, and I have only shown those which are simple and efficient in practice.

Feed-rolls may be employed in connection with "one or both sets of breakers and clearers for holding and controlling the material; or it may be fed by hand.

The devices may be arranged horizontally instead of vertical! y, though I prefer them as represented.

Having thus fully described the construction and operation of my machine, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Breaking and cleaning hemp, flax, &e., by a combination of vibrating blades d 71 and stationary blades 0 7n, and clearing devices f n, acting in concert with them, the whole being arranged and operating substantially in the manner herein set forth.

H. I). MceEoneE.

\Vitnesses:

HARVEY Sraenns, I-I. PEARSON. 

